Treat To Eyes: Indian Railways' Saffron-Coloured Vande Bharat Express Train Hits Tracks

The new saffron-coloured Vande Bharat Express is not yet operational and is currently stationed at the Indian Railways' Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.

The Indian Railways will soon launch the new saffron-coloured Vande Bharat Express in India, pictures of which were recently shared by the Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during his visit to the Integrated Coach Factory in Chennai. He inspected the new rake and announced that the saffron-coloured semi-high speed train is inspired by the tricolour of India. Now for the first time, the Vande Bharat Express has been spotted to have hit the railway tracks outside the ICF manufacturing unit. The new saffron Vande Bharat Express is not yet operational and is currently stationed at ICF, where Vande Bharat trains are manufactured, reported ANI.

Railway officials earlier announced that the 28th rake of the Indian-built semi-high-speed Vande Bharat Express will be 'saffron' in colour. A total of 25 Vande Bharat Express trains are operational in India now, while two more Vande Bharat rakes in the traditional white and blue livery are already manufactured. "The colour of this 28th rake is being changed on a trial basis," they said. It was earlier expected that the 28th rake will be made operational on the Independence Day, on August 15. 

However, later reports suggested that August 19 will be the date when the new saffron-train will be inaugurated. However, it is further delayed and there's no official news on when it will carry the first set of passengers. Union minister earlier said that the new colour of the 28th rake of the indigenous train is "inspired by Indian Tricolour". He said that 25 improvements have done in the Vande Bharat trains.

"This is a concept of Make In India, (which means) designed in India, by our own engineers, and technicians. So whatever feedback we are receiving from the field units, regarding ACs, toilets, etc., during the operation of Vande Bharat, all those improvements are being used for making changes in the design," Vaishnaw said in a press briefing.

"A new safety feature, 'anti climbers', or anti-climbing devices, on which we are working, were also reviewed today. These will be standard features in all the Vande Bharat and other trains," he added. It is pertinent to note that India's semi-high-speed train set, now offers its services in all rail-electrified states across the country.

The first Vande Bharat Express was flagged off on February 15, 2019, by the Prime Minister, running between New Delhi and Varanasi. Manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, the train set symbolizes the 'Make-In-India' initiative and showcases India's engineering prowess